McMenamins on the Columbia — Restaurant in Vancouver

I used to love McMenamins for its great food and atmosphere, but my recent visit left me very disappointed. The quality of the food has declined, and the menu has shrunk significantly.

I went there with my kids and family to enjoy a beautiful day by the waterfront. We were seated outside and initially enjoyed our time. However, a couple with a very fluffy husky sat next to us. While I have nothing against dogs, I expect a restaurant to maintain sanitary conditions, especially around food.

The dog's hair was flying everywhere as the owners kept petting it. What really bothered me was when the waitress came over, petted the dog, and then didn’t wash her hands before serving customers. My child kept complaining about having dog hair on his hands, and we only realized the extent of the issue when we were leaving and saw his chair covered in dog hair.

I believe dogs should not be near food in a restaurant; it's very unsanitary. Additionally, the food quality has declined—the burgers we ordered were overcooked, and my husband ended up with heartburn. To add to our disappointment, we asked to be reseated, but since it was a busy day, our request was declined.

Moreover, their prices have increased significantly. Paying $18 for a charred burger and a small handful of fries is ridiculous!

If you’re just looking to enjoy the view and have a drink, this place might still be okay, but for food and cleanliness, it’s no longer reliable. I used to frequent this location, but now I’m considering trying the new Vancouver spots with better restaurants and views. McMenamins really needs to change its pet policy to ensure a sanitary dining...

I've only ate here a few times tbh, but working here is absolutely horrible.

Hours on a weekly and daily basis are inconsistent, poor training, just thrown to cook a bunch of stuff on line and gave a pamphlet with not much information.

They only give you a fair amount of hours during training and could be anywhere from 10-20 hours a week.

Was let go early for dubious reasons, one was from too many mistakes, another because I was snacking on something because I didn't get a lunch break.

I only worked the summer which is the busiest and worst time to work here. This will likely be my last culinary/foodservice job as well.

The food is "good" but its overpriced and they do have some good beer and cider.

Was just another hostile work environment, no one wanted to be there especially BOH.

Also told the managers and a few others about my health problems and no accommodation was provided whatsoever. No extra breaks, etc. and yelled at when I make a mistake due to my brain fog and fatigue.

Was also yelled at for briefly looking at my phone, i think one of the last weekends I worked there.

Also had a mix-up on the day I was supposed to quit or my last day, even though they had the resignation letter I gave them on file, and I had a copy of it in my google drive too.

They tried to call me to show up another day and never called or answered back.

The place is a shit show I don't think I ever want to work or eat there. Only time I came back was when I was door dashing and all new people pretty much aside from a few people that had been working...

Ate here in July with a large group of extended family visiting from out of state and staying at the Homewood Suites next door. Location is lovely and picturesque, although parking can be difficult. We were seated at 3 tables side-by-side and near large open doors. The view of the river and the breeze was very nice and adds to the charm of the building.

Our servers were wonderful, especially with my somewhat demanding boomer era older family members. I slipped some well deserved extra tips on the side to our servers and the hostess for putting up with the "extra" required to keep everyone content.

At our table we had the following: veggie burger and tots (not pictured), burger and tots, gyro inspired wrap and tots, fish and Cajun tots, strawberry fields salad with beef tips added, and a kid's meal with mini corn dogs. We also had a variety of alcoholic cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks.

The food was tasty but over priced, in my opinion. The drinks were well made and the kids enjoyed the Shirley Temples with extra cherries.

If you are a hardcore McMenamins fan, like a few in our group who do the whole passport thing and stay in the hotels, than this is the place for you. For a once in a while special meal, I would return if I were in the area. For a regular dining experience with family, I would pass due to the cost. Most of the items purchased by our group were $20-28 per person(not including any kind of drink or dessert), so for me, that is a deal breaker for a random...